I have more questions than answers. But I believe in something much bigger and try to share the little glimpses I see. Please share yours. Together we can create more - I believe.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Respect is important....

Respect and being respectful are very important values.
Demanding respect despite very disrespectful acts, words and deeds is not going to happen.
"Just locker room talk" is not a respectable answer to someone boosting that they can grab women with benefit of celebrity status. It is not respectable. I cannot be commanded to respect that person.
Wealth does not command respect. How that person gained their wealth and what they did with the wealth accumulated, could be respectful.
Our sovereignty as a nation is an important value. It is our patriotic duty to protect our nation from intrusion by foreign invasion. I cannot respect Russian interference with our election in ANY way. And I cannot respect anyone who would turn a blind eye or think it is, in any form, acceptable.
For years we have heard the cries of "repeal and replace Obamacare" without a single replacement plan defined. I cannot respect that.
The highest standards of ethics should be the cornerstone of the purity of democracy. We should demand confidence that our elected officials are working for the benefit of their constituencies and not for personal gain. I cannot be commanded to respect anyone who refuses independent scrutiny - Independent Congressional Oversight, A free Press, divestiture of personal business/government relationships. I cannot be demanded to respect that.
Our public education system requires advocates that understand the challenges faced by educators. Education cannot be turned into a profit center or an advocate for religious ideology. I cannot respect anyone who advocates for that.
Respect and being respectful are very important values to me. Respectfully, I challenge the positions listed above. I respectfully challenge our nation to something better. I cannot respect less. I will not respect less. I believe we are better. Let's not lower our standards.
If you want me to respect your authority, my voice must be heard. If you want me to respect your patriotic vision, my full rights as a citizen must be fulfilled. If you want my respect, your ethics and your intentions must be honorable. I will respectfully disagree with your approach to a solution but I will not respect a total disregard for human dignity. I will not respect a disregard for social responsibility. I cannot and will not be commanded to do so. The health, dignity and respect of our country is at stake. I will not lower my standards. I will aspire to be better. I will demand better from our leaders.